


I Wouldn’t Take Back A Moment

by terramous



Series: Bad Things Happen Bingo [3]
Category: 9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020)
Genre: Angst, M/M, Whump, more lighthearted than most of what i write, suffocation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-24
Updated: 2020-06-24
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:33:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,006
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24886879
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/terramous/pseuds/terramous
Summary: Carlos heaved a sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. “That’s exactly what I’m afraid of; TK Strand is a danger magnet.”*There are many good ways to meet the parents of your boyfriend.Dinner? OverratedFamily gathering?? BoringStuck in a burning building??? Perfect for accident-prone TK Strand
Relationships: Carlos Reyes/TK Strand
Series: Bad Things Happen Bingo [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1775494
Comments: 11
Kudos: 286
Collections: 9-1-1 Lone Star ▶ Carlos Reyes / Tyler Kennedy "TK" Strand





	I Wouldn’t Take Back A Moment

**Author's Note:**

  * For [theworld_is_out_there](https://archiveofourown.org/users/theworld_is_out_there/gifts).



> For my lovely friend Amber’s birthday!!
> 
> Prompt #283 from her prompt doc (it’s a glorious doc)  
> “Responding to a huge house fire TK ends up trapped/hurt. Except the house belongs to Carlos’ parents. Carlos is on shift but upon getting a call from his parents rushing over. When he gets there he sees it's the 126 and starts looking for TK who is stuck inside. TK has not met Carlos' family yet (they also don’t know that Carlos is actually seeing anyone).”
> 
> For the Suffocation square of the bad things happen bingo
> 
> I also asked Bellakitse if I could borrow Carlota Reyes for this fic so, thank you to her!!! 💕💕💕

Carlos opened the police car door and raced across the grass almost before the vehicle came to a halt. His childhood home was bathed in the red glow of flames that scaled the building. His heart caught in this throat as his eyes anxiously scanned for any sign of his parents.

“Carlos!” 

His anxiety decreased when his gaze fell on his father, who looked perfectly fine aside from the shock blanket draped over his shoulders and Michelle standing by his side. 

“Dad, are you okay? What happened? Where’s mom?”

“Settle down. I’m fine, the firefighters are still getting your mother. It will be okay, you don’t need to worry.”

That did nothing to ease Carlos’ nerves. The house was on fire. And his mother was still inside.

“You’re gonna give yourself grey hairs,” Michelle offered, “Your boy is in there, he won’t let anything happen to her.”

Carlos heaved a sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. “That’s exactly what I’m afraid of; TK Strand is a danger magnet.”

And Carlos was right, especially about the worst things. They could only watch in horror as the roof pitched inwards and pieces of it even hit the ground.

 _“TK!”_ Carlos heard the scream bounce across all the nearby radios. It was Owen’s voice, saturated in nothing but fear.

🔥

In a split second, the terrain had completely shifted. It was clear from the inside that the structure wasn’t going to hold its shape for much longer. 

Over the crackling flames and his own laboured breathing, TK could hear the ominous creaks and groans of a building moments away from collapsing.

“Mrs. Reyes, I’m not sure that we’ve got long to get out. Can you walk?” TK wasn’t confident as to how he ended up with the bad luck streak a mile wide that meant he was the sole determinant as to whether his boyfriend’s mom lived or died, but he didn’t appreciate the stress.

“Yes,” Mrs. Reyes confirmed, her fingers locked in a death-grip around TK’s wrist as they manoeuvred through the wreckage.

The fire had spread remarkably fast, with a few minor flames licking up at the sky when the ladder truck pulled up. Now everything was lined in an angry red glow, sparks flickering throughout the air. 

Carlota was wild-eyed and visibly shaking. Coughs continued to wrack her frame, growing more regular with each passing moment. They were running out of time. 

Obviously, TK’s luck continued to run out as what he assumed was a support beam from the ceiling, fell in front of their only exit.

“Fuck,” TK hissed, gently easing Mrs. Reyes’ grip off of his arm so he could get a better look at the obscruction. It probably wouldn’t have been all that hard to move on any other day, but today it was on fire, and one glance up at the ceiling told TK that it wouldn’t be long before the rest plummeted down to meet them.

“Okay, Mrs. Reyes, we’re not going to be able to get out through there. We’re going to find somewhere safer to hunker down while I radio for help, okay?”

TK’s least favourite thing about being in a two-storey house in a rescue was the constant looming fear of falling to the ground floor. Every shift in the floorboards under his feet sent a spike of adrenaline like electricity to his fingers and toes.

As it turns out, he didn’t have to worry about the floor giving way, instead, it was the ceiling that lost its strength.

It was a rumble, then a crack, and TK was shoving Mrs. Reyes out of the way with a little more force than he would have liked. The impact of the ceiling hitting the floor shook the strength from TK’s legs, sending him to his knees.

“TK!” his radio chirped to life as the debris settled. He and Mrs. Reyes were now pinned into the corner of the room, flames and chaos spread out in every direction. _“TK, do you copy?”_

“Yeah, I’m here. We’re a little shaken up, but no injuries. The exit is blocked though, you’re gonna have to come get us.”

He could only imagine his father’s sigh of relief on the other end. _“Alright, where are you? How is Mrs. Reyes?”_

“We’re still on the second floor. Southeast side maybe? I’ll try to open a window,” TK explained hastily. “Mrs. Reyes is okay. But there’s a lot of smoke up here, make it fast.” 

As if on cue, Mrs. Reyes began another coughing fit. Her weight was pressed entirely against the wall as she struggled to suck in deep enough breaths around the smoke. He was going to get scolded for it later, but he couldn’t just sit there with a tank of oxygen and watch Carlota’s condition continue to deteriorate. So he swiftly removed the tank from his back and mask from his face. Kneeling next to Mrs. Reyes, where she was now sitting propped up against the wall, TK slid the mask over her face, tucking the dark tendrils of her hair out of the way.

The assault of smoke on his lungs almost instantly devolved TK into his own fit of coughs. Scrambling to his feet, trying to see around the tears rapidly gathering in his eyes, TK made his way over to the window and with a swift jab of his elbow, the glass shattered.

Smoke billowed out of the opening but there was a brief moment in which TK could suck in a breath of cleaner air. He waved his arms out the window for a few seconds, hoping for it to be a clear enough signal to his team. 

_“Was that you, kid?”_ his radio crackled with Judd’s familiar gruff voice.

So much for holding onto that breath. “Yeah, that’s us.”

_“We’ll be up there soon, just hang on, okay?”_

“Got it.”

TK was already getting lightheaded by the time he returned to Mrs. Reyes, who was looking better than she had before. He gratefully sank to his knees as the building began to tilt under his feet. Gauging Mrs. Reyes’ reaction, TK determined that the shifting was just in his head. He really needed to lie down.

Lying down brought with it some easier breaths. Thank God for physics. He was able to savour a few breaths with his cheek pressed to the floor. His skin burned at contact with the air alone, but he knew all he had to focus on was breathing in enough oxygen to stay conscious. 

“Mrs. Reyes,” TK tried, coughing when he breathed too deeply, feeling ash settling in his windpipe, “Are you doing okay?”

“Yes, I’m alright, sir. Do you know if my husband is safe?”

“I’ll check,” TK smiled despite the fact that Mrs. Reyes probably couldn’t tell with all the smoke in the air, reaching for his radio. “Is Mr. Reyes out?”

 _“Yup,”_ Judd replied. _“He’s with EMS and Carlos right now.”_

“He’s okay, your son and the paramedics are with him.”

Judd’s voice returned, _“How are you guys holding up?”_

“We’re-“ TK struggled to suppress a cough fighting it way up his throat. He was beginning to struggle more with each breath. “We’re okay.”

_“Are you sure? You don’t sound fine.”_

“Mild smoke inhalation. If you guys hurry up, it’s nothing to worry about.” It was definitely more than mild, TK’s head was throbbing, as was his chest. Were those dark spots in his vision or ash in the air?

He couldn’t make out the words on the other end of the radio this time, his head swimming.

“You know my son?” Mrs. Reyes asked.

TK nodded, his mouth hanging open as he desperately tried to suck in more air. “I work with him sometimes. Nice guy, good at his job. We’ll get you back to him real soon. How are you doing, Mrs. Reyes?”

As much as TK would have liked to continue the conversation, he could feel himself slipping. The air was too thick with smoke and everything other than oxygen, it was a wonder that he wasn’t out much sooner.

🔥

Carlos had to physically restrain himself from taking TK’s hand as he was rushed past on a backboard. Instead he directed his attention to his mother. 

“Mom? Are you okay?” Carlos took in the sight of his mother, of the soot stains on her face, as he wrapped an arm around his mother’s shoulders, supporting most of her weight.

“I’m quite alright. You don’t need to worry. That brave firefighter saved me.” Carlos’ heart clenched. “He gave me his mask so I could breathe. He’s a hero.”

Carlos wasn’t surprised. TK was prone to doing the dumbest things for the sake of saving people. He didn’t need to dwell on the memory of the solar flare, the bus both burning and flooding, and the growing redness on TK’s chest as he popped his stitches.

“He must’ve been very brave,” Carlos agreed, with a tight smile.

“Oh, he was!” 

He guided his mother towards EMS and his father. “The paramedics are going to look you over, okay? Be good for them.”

“Yes, yes, I will.”

Carlos’ dad looked like he was deciding whether to hug his wife or yell at her.

“I’m going to go and check on the firefighter, okay? I won’t be far if you need me.” Carlos tried to pretend that he wasn’t about to leap out of his skin from anxiety

As Carlos carefully navigated his way to the back of the ambulance, he found TK looking a lot better than he had a few minutes ago. He was awake now, even sitting up as Michelle pressed a stethoscope to his chest.

TK’s eyes lit up the moment they met Carlos’, his lips stretching into a smile despite the oxygen mask strapped to his face. Carlos couldn’t help the smile that formed in response.

“Is Mrs. Reyes okay?”

“She’s getting checked out, my dad is with her. How are you?”

“I’m fine.”

Carlos turned to Michelle. “How is he?”

“Loverboy here inhaled a lot of smoke.”

“Don’t snitch,” TK hissed, shooting Michelle a half-hearted glare.

“What you did was stupid, and reckless, and you could have died!” Owen berated as he surged past Carlos to wrap his arms around his son. “Taking your mask off? How dumb can you be, TK?!”

“Had to make sure Mrs. Reyes survived. Couldn’t let her die. Carlos’ mom.” Carlos could hear the breathlessness in TK’s every word and broken sentence. He seemed exhausted but nearly dying, again, tended to have that effect. 

Carlos cleared his throat. “As much as I will forever be thankful that you saved my mother’s life, these things should never cost you yours. You could’ve died, TK.”

“I wanted to make a good impression,” TK admitted softly, his eyes downcast.

In any other situation, the statement would’ve been funny, but Carlos had just watched three of the people he cared most about be pulled from a burning building, and there was still plenty of fear singing in his veins. 

“They’ll be singing your praises for the rest of time, I’m sure. But there are safer ways to meet my parents, Ty.” Carlos moved to sit next to him on the gurney, taking TK’s hand in his own. “Please never risk your safety like that again.”

“I couldn’t let your mom die.”

“I know, TK. But I could’ve lost you both today.” Carlos brought TK’s knuckles up to his lips, pressing a soft kiss to them. “When the roof came down I was so scared.”

“Can’t kill me that easily, Reyes.”

“That won’t stop me worrying about you, sweetheart. You’re prone to getting hurt and I’ll never get used to it.”

“Can I kiss you?”

“I think that has to wait until later, Tiger.”

“TK Strand, if you remove that oxygen mask, I will strangle you myself,” Michelle chided.

But Michelle’s words fell on deaf ears as TK surged forward and took Carlos’ lips in his own. With a small noise of surprise, Carlos brought his hand up to cup the back of TK’s head on reflex. TK tasted like smoke and his lips were rough against Carlos’ own, but Carlos didn’t care for much other than the contact with TK. He could very easily lose himself in movements of their lips against each other. But TK had other plans as he broke the kiss to cough harshly into Carlos’ chest. 

“Take it easy,” Carlos murmured, gently pulling the oxygen mask back up over TK’s mouth. TK took a few grateful deep breaths as he regained his composure, albeit with a sly grin as he glanced over Carlos’ shoulder.

“Carlota said you two worked together, I didn’t know you were so close.” Carlos froze at the sound of his father’s voice from the back doors of the ambulance. 

“Mr. Reyes, how is your wife?” TK asked with the tone of a perfect angel child who never did anything wrong. Carlos saw right through his lie.

“She is very grateful for your help. I came to see if our Carlos wanted to ride in the ambulance, but I see that he is very busy here.” 

Carlos choked on air, sputtering as he tried to find a reasonable explanation why he had just been caught making out with a firefighter in the back of an ambulance like a couple teenagers. He shot Michelle a look, begging her to help him out of this awkward situation but she just shrugged her shoulders and turned back to fiddling with supplies.

“Dad-“

“Make sure to call me when you two get to the hospital. Carlota is going to be very glad you’ve found yourself a man— a handsome firefighter at that.”

It was TK’s turn to be flustered. Mr. Reyes offered them both a smile and a wave before parting ways. 

Carlos just groaned and pressed his forehead into TK’s chest. “For the record, that was not how I intended for you to meet my parents.”

“You and my dad properly met while I was comatose, I thought we weren’t doing the whole “normal” thing.”

🔥

TK leaned heavily against Carlos. They were both sitting in the same hospital bed, still in their uniforms and probably a sight to behold. Having shed his turnout gear, TK slotted himself under Carlos’ arm, eager to sap his body warmth. He imagined he looked incredibly disheveled, an oxygen mask still strapped to his face as his lungs recovered from the smoke, as he all but sat in the officer’s lap. 

Carlos hummed, TK could feel the vibrations in Carlos’ chest under his cheek. “How’re you feeling?”

“Better. Tired.”

No one ever told him the amount of tests that were involved in smoke inhalation. After a series of x-rays, blood tests and a very uncomfortable tube down his throat, TK was _exhausted_. All he wanted to do was snuggle up to Carlos’ side in a bed big enough to fit the both of them. He was getting sick of hospital beds.

“Just a few more hours and I’ll be able to take you home. You’ve had a long day,” Carlos whispered, pressing a kiss into TK’s hair.

TK resorted to fiddling with the fingers of Carlos’ free hand as they waited in comfortable silence.

🔥

Carlos guided TK by the hand through his front door. The sun had long set by that point, a distinct contrast to the bright midday sky polluted by smoke that hung in the sky the last time the two had been outside. TK had resorted to taking a few short naps in the hospital to fill the time, and as result, was looking a lot more lively and less like he was about to topple over.

With a surge of energy as soon as the door shut behind them, TK was leaping onto Carlos, his arms wrapped around the officer’s neck and his legs hooked on Carlos’ hips. Their lips connected, TK’s still with the lingering taste of smoke as well as the sweetness of the soda he begged Carlos to buy him, claiming that near death experiences deserved reward.

TK was very eager to sink deeper into the kiss, running his tongue along Carlos’ bottom lip. More so than any drug, TK was intoxicating and Carlos was putty in his hands.

Just as Carlos had TK pinned against the wall like he had so many times before, someone cleared their throat. The two of them broke apart swiftly, Carlos dropping TK with a little more haste than he would’ve liked. The firefighter scowled at him as he whirled to face his parents sitting in the living room, eyeing him smugly.

“Your parents are here?” TK hissed from behind Carlos, before quickly lightening his tone. “Mr. and Mrs. Reyes, it’s good to see you both safe.”

“Likewise,” his mother said with a kind smile, “I see you’re feeling much better.”

TK wanted to climb back in the burning rubble. “I- Yeah. Nothing a few hours in the hospital couldn’t fix.”

“Uhh…” Carlos tried, knowing he looked as dumb as he felt. “This is TK Strand, my boyfriend.”

“A firefighter. Handsome, too. How long have you been keeping him a secret, Carlos?”

“We’ve been dating for a few months,” TK supplied innocently.

Carlos coughed lightly. “Great. TK, why don’t you sit down and get to know my parents better? I’m going to put together something to eat, I’m sure we could all use a home cooked meal after today.”

“Carlos,” TK hissed, “Don’t feed me to the sharks.”

Carlos pulled a chair away from the dining table and turned it towards the living area, gesturing for TK to sit. “You better learn how to swim.”

There was something domestic in the way that Carlos could look up from cutting vegetables to see TK talking animatedly with his parents about some funny rescue and the wave of laughter that spread around the room when he got to the punchline. Carlos’ heart swelled with fondness. He never wanted this moment to end.

**Author's Note:**

> Title from: Into The Fire - Asking Alexandria  
> Is this a weird combo of british/australian english and the things i got bullied into converting to american english?? absolutely 
> 
> [tumblr](https://sunsetcxrve.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Thank you so much for reading!!


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